Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Derek Smith, 177th Regional Training Institute, Michigan National...... read more read more
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FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – From Nov. 14-23, subject matter experts from the Michigan Army and Air National Guard visited Freetown, Sierra Leone, for the first cooperation activities following the State Partnership Program signing ceremony held Sept. 12 between the Michigan National Guard and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces.
Specialists from Michigan engaged with RSLAF counterparts for assessment and planning in three priority areas including non-commissioned officer development, military justice, and vehicle operations.
“We are moving very rapidly to roll out the SPP with Sierra Leone as part of Michigan’s commitment to building value-added relationships with our partners,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Scott House, SPP executive integrator for the MING. “Presence matters with the SPP, and our Soldiers and Airmen are investing time with our RSLAF partners to shape long-term engagements that will continue for years, and perhaps decades to come.”
The MING has also been partnered since 1993 with the Republic of Latvia, and since 2009, the Republic of Liberia. Two legal officers from the Armed Forces of Liberia also traveled to Freetown during the engagements to participate in trilateral discussion with counterparts from Michigan and Sierra Leone.
“We are excited about the SPP with the Michigan National Guard and the opportunity it brings to strengthen security in coastal West Africa,” said RSLAF Maj. Gen. A.I. Bangura, Chief of Defense Staff. “This partnership is just getting started and we look forward to many more fruitful exchanges in the near future.”
The visiting personnel from Michigan also spent time familiarizing with Sierra Leone’s unique culture and history, including a visit to the Sierra Leone National Museum.
The SPP supports U.S. State Department and Department of Defense objectives by linking the National Guard of a U.S. state with the armed forces of a sovereign partner nation for mutually beneficial security cooperation activities. The SPP began in 1993 with 13 partners and has grown to include 105 partnerships with 115 nations around the globe.
| Date Taken: | 11.26.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.26.2024 13:22 |
| Story ID: | 486195 |
| Location: | FREETOWN, SL |
| Web Views: | 261 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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